Not just a newspaper company is how Daily News Editor-in-Chief Ron Goodman describes the media organisation he runs from offices located in an industrial area in Tweed Heads South.

“We will die if we just stick to that,” said Mr Goodman, whose responsibilities include the publication of two printed regional newspapers as well as the operation of a constantly updated website news service.

“We aim to communicate important local information to the biggest audience possible in whatever format they’re most comfortable with,” he said.

“Our total audience has grown by 30% over the past twelve months…Revenue-wise we’re meeting expectations.”

He said audited circulation figures were 37,000 for the Tweed Border Mail (free on Wednesdays) and 8,000 for the Daily News (50 cents on Saturdays), with an online monthly audience for My Daily News of 40,000.

Mr Goodman said getting the platform and the content mix right would help achieve the objective of continuing to grow the audience.

He said twelve months ago they were publishing a newspaper six days a week in addition to three free newspapers.

Some staff had been shed but the situation now was “pretty stable”, he said.

Originally from Melbourne, Mr Goodman started his journalism career as a casual reporter before joining the Melbourne Leader, where he worked for four years including one year as a cadet.

He then moved to Brisbane spending 10 years with Quest Community Newspapers, and from there went to the Wynnum Herald where he worked for six years, being editor for three.

Before joining the Daily News he was Managing Editor of the South-West News in which position, for the first time, he was required to liaise with advertising staff.

Mr Goodman said the attraction of journalism was that it offered work he could be passionate about and that was different every day, that “wasn’t a chore”.

He said he saw his role as enabling people to do a great job putting together a news package.

“When the staff gets satisfaction I get satisfaction.”

Under various names and in a variety of formats the Daily News has been going since 1888, as The Tweed Daily becoming in 1914 the district’s first daily newspaper.

Produced now by the Tweed Newspaper Company Pty Ltd, the Daily News is part of APN Australian Regional Media, itself part of APN News & Media, which publishes daily and non-daily newspapers across Australia and New Zealand, as well as operating national radio networks.

Also General Manager, Mr Goodman joined the Daily News in July 2010 becoming Publisher in November last year.

Mr Goodman said, although from interstate, he nevertheless had experienced no difficulty connecting with the Tweed and southern Gold Coast community covered by his media organisation.

“Hear their story and respect what they think is important,” he said.

“If you’re willing to listen to people and treat them with respect you can connect with the community pretty quickly.”